Once I've got my bags of horse manure, how do I know when it has rotted
enough to be mixed with my compost? Last year I just left it in a spare
bin for 6 months, but it didn't look (or smell!) much different to when
I started.

TIA

Paul

sfby wrote:
Once I've got my bags of horse manure, how do I know when it has rotted
enough to be mixed with my compost? Last year I just left it in a spare
bin for 6 months, but it didn't look (or smell!) much different to when
I started.

How trully strange. 6 months you said?! Our manure 'turns' into crumbs
within 2/3 months and even though we still got lots of straw in it but
the pooh has crumbled entirely. It's in a wooden crate, with gaps
around it, covered with a bit of old carpet and under an hawthorn. The
bin you've put it in, is it plastic and completely sealed? Because
there perhaps lies your problem. It needs to breeze a bit, with rain,
air, sun.

Here a fantastic site which gives you all you need to know.

http://www.primalseeds.org/compost.htm#kic

sfby wrote:
Once I've got my bags of horse manure, how do I know when it has rotted
enough to be mixed with my compost? Last year I just left it in a spare
bin for 6 months, but it didn't look (or smell!) much different to when
I started.

I'm not one of those who swear by plastic compost bins: the stuff wants
air, which is more available in a traditional heap, especially if you
turn it from time to time. If you've got a suitable place, four posts
and some chicken wire will look neat enough (to my taste, better).
Anaerobic organisms don't make compost, and do make smells. It's ready
when it no longer looks or smells like the original muck, as you seem
to realise. It's probably best to mix your muck in with other
composting material from the start.

--
Mike.

"sfby" wrote in message
ps.com...

Once I've got my bags of horse manure, how do I know when it has rotted
enough to be mixed with my compost? Last year I just left it in a spare
bin for 6 months, but it didn't look (or smell!) much different to when
I started.

TIA

Paul



The part that needs to rot is the straw or shredded paper or whatever
other bedding material was used. And so the degree of further
decompostion and heating up, will depend on the proportion of straw etc
that was used. Manure of itself doesn't need to decompose any further as
all the decompostion was already done inside the animal's stomach. That's
why its possible to spead fresh cow manure, suitably watered down, straight
onto fields etc. Straight manure can be too concentrated when applied
direct to the soil however, hence the need to mix it with organic
matter first.



michael adams

....




michael adams

....

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
oups.com...

sfby wrote:
Once I've got my bags of horse manure, how do I know when it has
rotted
enough to be mixed with my compost? Last year I just left it in a
spare
bin for 6 months, but it didn't look (or smell!) much different to
when
I started.

I'm not one of those who swear by plastic compost bins: the stuff
wants
air,

I find they work well but in an entirely different way to trad.
compost heaps. They are much wetter and take longer but the product
is good (in the end). I suspect that they need the heat from the sun
to work well. I moved one from the shade into full Oz sun and it
works a treat now whereas before it was soggy and smelly - now with
the sun working on it there is no smell even though it is still on the
soggy side.

I also now have mice in one of my plastic bins and I have found them
to be a most useful addition. The mice are tunnelling and turning and
pooping and make the compost much quicker. The biggest wory is to try
to stop on of the Jack Russells digging under it in search of the
meeces.

"michael adams" wrote in message
...

"sfby" wrote in message
ps.com...

Once I've got my bags of horse manure, how do I know when it has
rotted
enough to be mixed with my compost? Last year I just left it in a
spare
bin for 6 months, but it didn't look (or smell!) much different to
when
I started.

The part that needs to rot is the straw or shredded paper or
whatever
other bedding material was used. And so the degree of further
decompostion and heating up, will depend on the proportion of straw
etc
that was used. Manure of itself doesn't need to decompose any
further as
all the decompostion was already done inside the animal's stomach.
That's
why its possible to spead fresh cow manure, suitably watered down,
straight
onto fields etc. Straight manure can be too concentrated when
applied
direct to the soil however, hence the need to mix it with organic
matter first.

I use manure straight onto beds and the fresher the better has been my
experience. I know that this isn't the recommendation, but it works
and the plants seem to love it and espcecially the roses which love
fresh horse poo. I always spread the manure and then top it with
lucerne (alfalfa) hay. My manure has no hay in it. The only manure I
don't use fresh is fowl. I've also recently managed to get my hands
on some Elephant manure, something I've been waiting years to try.
Looks just like giant horse poops.

The message
from "Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow contains these words:


"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
oups.com...

I'm not one of those who swear by plastic compost bins: the stuff
wants
air,

I find they work well but in an entirely different way to trad.
compost heaps. They are much wetter and take longer but the product
is good (in the end). I suspect that they need the heat from the sun
to work well. I moved one from the shade into full Oz sun and it
works a treat now whereas before it was soggy and smelly - now with
the sun working on it there is no smell even though it is still on the
soggy side.

Last year, our local council (desperate to reduce landfill) handed
out 3 free plastic black dalek composters to every household that
asked. Like Mike L I had little confidence in them until I moved one
into the sun. It was filled with insidious and seedy weeds that I don't
put in my big pallet compost heaps.


I also now have mice in one of my plastic bins and I have found them
to be a most useful addition. The mice are tunnelling and turning and
pooping and make the compost much quicker.

I had ants doing the same thing . Unlike you I found the plastic one
much drier than the usual heaps (hence the ants). However, the one
heated up by full sun is now full of very fine, crumbly dark compost,
and I'm really surprised and delighted by the success of it. The other
two were tucked away in shady corners and haven't done as well.

Janet

Janet